He was as shocked as everyone else Friday at Rogers Arena when Steve Yzerman announced the German defenseman, who'd been projected to go anywhere from No. 12 to No. 23, as his first pick as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman watches, as Moritz Seider puts on a jersey after being selected sixth overall in the first round of the NHL draft at Rogers Arena, June 21, 2019 in Vancouver.(Photo: Anne-Marie Sorvin, USA TODAY Sports)

The highest-rated defenseman in the draft, Canadian Bowen Byram, was picked by Colorado at fourth. The Wings had the choice among elite forwards Cole Caufield, Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras and Vasili Podkolzin. But the Wings, who have drafted forwards in five of their last six first rounds, instead chose a 6-foot-3, right-shot defenseman who was rookie of the year in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Germany’s top men’s hockey league, in 2018-19 (he had six points in 29 games for Adler Mannheim).

Seider is a smart, two-way defenseman who loves to join the rush and isn’t afraid to play the body.

“He’s big, he’s efficient, and he’s smart,” said Wings coach Jeff Blashill, who saw Seider at the IIFC World Championship in May, when Seider had two goals in five games for his native Germany. “He made plays under pressure. For me, that’s what the best defensemen do.”

Blashill estimated Seider has the potential to be a top-four defenseman.

Seider said he expected to be picked “somewhere between 15 and 20,” but also knew the Wings were interested when his interview at the NHL combine lasted 40 minutes.

“Steve Yzerman wanted to know every single thing about me,” Seider said. “He wanted to know me as a person. He wanted to know everything about my parents, what they did for me. We decided to move to Mannheim so they quit their jobs and that was a huge commitment. It was a great meeting.

“It was the last meeting so I think that is going to be stuck in my memory for a long time. I think there was just a little percentage being drafted by Detroit.”

Seider’s parents quit their jobs as managers of an “old folks home,” he said, and relocated to Mannheim to nurture Seider’s development.

Seider started playing hockey when he was 5. He had a chance while in kindergarten to jump on the ice once a week, and “after a couple times, I got a little piece of paper in my stall from the hockey organization” in his hometown. The next week ,he was skating with his idols and in love with hockey.

He’ll be at development camp next week with the Wings' recent draft picks.

“Mannheim and Detroit I think have a lot in common,” Seider said. “They are both worker cities. I’m really looking forward to being in Detroit.”

Moritz Seider poses for a portrait after being selected sixth overall by the Detroit Red Wings during the first round of the NHL draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. Kevin Light, Getty Images

Moritz Seider poses for a portrait after being selected sixth overall by the Detroit Red Wings during the first round of the NHL draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. Kevin Light, Getty Images

Moritz Seider, center, with GM Steve Yzerman, left, after being selected sixth overall to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the NHL draft at Rogers Arena, June 21, 2019 in Vancouver. Anne-Marie Sorvin, USA TODAY Sports

Moritz Seider puts on a team jersey after being selected sixth overall to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the NHL draft at Rogers Arena, June 21, 2019 in Vancouver. Anne-Marie Sorvin, USA TODAY Sports

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman shakes hands with Moritz Seider after he was selected sixth overall by the Detroit Red Wings during the first round of the NHL draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver. Bruce Bennett, Getty Images